Mulleys Optare Solos

Saturday 23 November 2019 (1252) – Mulleys Motorways CN54 HFC seen passing street musicians in St. Andrew’s Street, Bury St Edmunds working town service M11 from Nowton Estate. It is an Optare Solo that had been new to Bebb Travel of Llantwit Fadre, South Wales in September 2004.

Thursday 24 June 2021 (0845) - Mulleys Motorways CN54 HFC seen in Risbygate Street, Bury St Edmunds. It is one of three former Veolia Transport Cymru Optare Solos acquired in 2012 to operate the company’s expanded Bury St Edmunds town service network. New to Bebb Travel of Llantwit Fadre, South Wales in September 2004. It is one of three former Veolia Transport Cymru Optare Solos acquired in 2012 to operate the company’s expanded Bury St Edmunds town service network. New to Bebb Travel of Llantwit Fadre, South Wales in September 2004.

Saturday 12 April 2014 (0829) – Mulleys Motorways CN06 BXJ under a fine spread of blossom in Acacia Avenue on the Mildenhall Road Estate in Bury St Edmunds when working service M55. New to Bebb Travel, Llantwit Fadre, South Wales in April 2006. Normally the M44/M55 services are operated by two white Optare Solos (MX57 HDH and AE06 YYU) however the latter was in the workshops for serving so CN06 BXJ made an appearance on the services today. This is a 9.2 metre long 920 model.

Wednesday 29 June 2016 (1120) – Bury St Edmunds bus station: Stephensons of Essex 635 (YN55 NHP), an East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD, leaving as the 1120 short working of service 15 to Chedburgh. Parked on the stands are Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo CN06 BXJ working the 1120 service 312 to Newmarket and H C Chambers and Son (Go-Ahead Group) 261 (EY57 FZE), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 between trips on service 374. On the right in the background is Fareline Bus & Coach Services (Geoff Morss) P745 GNU between trips on service 320.

Friday 18 August 2017 (0920) – Mildenhall bus station. Mulleys Motorways CN06 BXJ, an Optare Solo that had been new to Bebb Travel, Llantwit Fadre, South Wales in April 2006. It was working the 0920 service 358 to West Row. In the background is Stephensons of Essex 633 (YN55 NHC), an East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94 that had been new London United (SLE9) in October 2005. It was working the 0850 service 16 from Bury St. Edmunds to Newmarket due out at 0922. Taken from the rear upper deck window of Mulleys LW51 ZHJ working the 0920 service 355 to Bury St. Edmunds.

Friday 10 August 2018 (1117) – For some time the section of St. Andrew’s Street North close to the main shops in Bury St. Edmunds has been closed resulting in buses being diverted along Risbygate Stret and Parkway. Mulleys Motorways CN06 BXJ is seen turning on to Parkway when working service M88 to the Horringer Court and Priors Estates. It is an Optare Solo that was new to Bebb Travel of Llantwit Fadre, South Wales in April 2006. In the centre of the roundabout behind the bus is a statue of St. Edmund at his martyrdom made from steel wire with steel arrows penetrating his heart and body.

Saturday 9 August 2014 (1803) - Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo AE06 YYU seen leaving Bury St Edmunds bus station on town service M44 (Mildenhall Road and Howard Estates). New to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006.

Saturday 5 September 2015 (1325) - Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo AE06 YYU and Stephensons of Essex Alexander ALX200 ied Dennis Dart 439 (Y284 FJN) seen near Bury St Edmunds railway station. Just on the left hand edge of the photograph is another Stephensons bus, a Plaxton Pointer.

Saturday 5 September 2015 (1148) - Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo AE06 YYU and Scania N94UD OmniCity YN54 NXK pass in St. Andrew's Street North, Bury St. Edmunds.

Monday 22 October 2018 (1216) – Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo AE06 YYU seen in Moulton when working the 1210 Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds service 312. It was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006. Quite a warm and clear day. A good day for drying the line of washed clothes.

Monday 4 May 2020 (0949) – Some legitimate exercise during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown by taking a cycle ride via Worlington at just the right time enabled me to get my first bus photographs in quite some weeks. Unfortunately there are many things which have changed our lives of late including seeing the Springtime foliage and blossom always in abundance at this time of year. One of my favourite springtime blossoms is that of the horse chestnut tree and this magnificent specimen dwarfs one of two buses to pass by this way in a short space of time this morning. Service 357 from Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds via Red Lodge, Tuddenham and Risby operated by Mulleys Motorways has continued running as normal although Mulleys commercially run service 355 via Ickingham has been suspended until further notice. The other bus passing by this way is the Stephensons of Essex service 16 running from Bury St. Edmunds to Newmarket on a much reduced timetable. Mulleys Optare Solo AE06 YYU is seen when working the 0940 service from Mildenhall. It was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006.

Monday 4 May 2020 (0948) – Some legitimate exercise during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown by taking a cycle ride via Worlington at just the right time enabled me to get my first bus photographs in quite some weeks. Unfortunately there are many things which have changed our lives of late including seeing the Springtime foliage and blossom always in abundance at this time of year. One of my favourite springtime blossoms is that of the horse chestnut tree and this magnificent specimen dwarfs one of two buses to pass by this way in a short space of time this morning. Service 357 from Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds via Red Lodge, Tuddenham and Risby operated by Mulleys Motorways has continued running as normal although Mulleys commercially run service 355 via Ickingham has been suspended until further notice. The other bus passing by this way is the Stephensons of Essex service 16 running from Bury St. Edmunds to Newmarket on a much reduced timetable. Mulleys Optare Solo AE06 YYU, which was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006, is seen when working the 0940 service from Mildenhall.

Wednesday 13 May 2020 (1235) – Mulleys Motorways AE06 YYU seen in Mill Street, Mildenhall when working the 1230 service 357 from Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds via Red Lodge, Tuddenham and Risby. Service 357, operated by Mulleys under contract to Suffolk County Council, has operated normally (except for the school related journeys) during the period of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions although the Mulleys commercially run service 355 to Bury St. Edmunds via Ickingham has been suspended until further notice. AE06 YYU, an Optare Solo which normally works the Bury St. Edmunds town service M44, was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham in August 2006. Unfortunately there are many things which have changed our lives of late including seeing the Springtime foliage and blossom always in abundance at this time of year. One of my favourite springtime blossoms is that of the horse chestnut tree and this photograph features such a specimen which stands in the grounds of the Riverside House Hotel. The building which is most prominent in this photograph is the former Parker’s Mill, now residential apartments. Once powered by the water from the River Lark, a small number of features from its working days have been retained like the overhead girder track used for unloading and loading carts and trucks from the roadway. The device sticks out from the building behind the tree on the left.

Saturday 31 March 2012 (approx 0800) - Mulleys Motorways expanded their town service network in Bury St Edmunds from Monday 19 March 2012. The company has quite a presence in the town now. AE06 YYU is one of the regular buses employed on service M44 serving the Mildenhall Road and Howard Estates which was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006. Two other Mulleys buses are in this picture taken in St Andrew’s Street North. BMC Falcon AE55 NYL (arriving on the Nowton Estate service M11) and CN56 FDU (loading for Moreton Hall Estate on service M33).

Saturday 25 November 2023 (1117) – Mulleys Motorways AE06 YYU seen in St. Andrew’s Street North, Bury St. Edmunds workin the 1115 service M88 from the Bus Station to the Priors Estate. It was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006. Low winter sunshine creates a lot of unwanted shadows and reflections not conducive for a clear picture.

Saturday 25 November 2023 (1107) – Mulleys Motorways AE06 YYU seen in St. Andrew’s Street North, Bury St. Edmunds as it arrived back on the 1050 town service M77 via the Westley Estate. Upon arrival at the Bus Station it would go on to work the 1115 service M88 to the Priors Estate. It was new to Dews Coaches of Somersham, Cambridgeshire in August 2006.

Sunday 4 November 2012 (0857) – The day Sunday bus services returned to Bury St Edmunds with four different services (851-854) sponsored by Suffolk County Council. Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo’s CN56 FDU and MX57 HDH stand in the bus station prior to working their first runs. The 851 and 854 was worked by the former and the 852 and 853 by the latter. (Mulleys operated the contracted Sunday services until Sunday 30 March 2014. Coach Services Limited took over the following Sunday).

Tuesday 20 March 2012 (0616) - Mulleys Motorways expanded their Bury St Edmunds town service network on Monday 19 March 2012. Three additional Optare Solos, all new to Bebb Travel of Llantwit Fadre, South Wales and latterly operated by Veolia Transport Cymru, were acquired for the additional services and have been repainted orange. CN56 FDU is shown here. In the background is AE06 YYU, one of the two original Mulleys Optare Solo’s which carry a while livery.